Drum type disintegrating head for continuous miner



June 19, 1956 A- L. BARRETT 2,751,207

DRUM TYPE DISINTEGRATING HEAD FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Aug. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wgg ifi h I V i I (a N [3206 Z02.- fl2-2?2 21? Z66 Quail? June 19, 1956 A. L. BARRETT DRUM TYPE DISINTEIGRATING HEAD FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Aug. 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. I 0 5 2 w Z r a a a a m W M J L d 5 w U m 9 i a g a 5 M 0 u M M 2 a 2 I 1 a Z 7 i r 4 /0 0S O 9 g W a a G w I 6 M y 0 0/ m 60 f /IVWJ IVM.VIIIIIAMV4VV. Z 556 7 9 r g I m w 5 5 fi e M w W 5 5 V W Al 5 M I DRUi /l TYPE DISEN'IEGRATING HEAD F OR CONTINUOUS MINER Arthur Lee Barrett, Franklin, Pan, assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 17, 1953, Serial No. 374,693 15 Claims. (Cl. 262-26) This invention relates to a disintegrating head mechanism and more particularly to a drum type disintegrating head especially designed for use in the dislodging from and the disintegration of mineral of a solid mine vein.

The present invention resides primarily in improvements over that disclosed in the copending John R. Sibley application Serial No. 267,717, filed January 23, 1952, owned by the same assignee as the present invention, and the disintegrating head disclosed herein is of a novel structure involving simplification and increased ruggedness, resulting in substantial cost reduction and facilitating replacement and repair. Also the novel arrangement of the disintegrating teeth on the drum substantially increases both the quantity of lump mineral obtainable and the overall operating efiiciency.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved disintegrating head mechanism especially designed for use in the disintegration of and the dislodging of mineral from a solid mine vein. Another object is to provide an improved disintegrating head of the rotary drum type. Yet another object is to provide an improved toothed drum structure for a disintegrating head mechanism, having its parts so constructed and arranged as to provide a relatively simple and rugged structure which may be cheaply manufactured and may be readily and economically maintained in repair. Still another object is to provide an improved rotary toothed drum structure for a disintegrating head having its tooth elements mounted on the drum in an improved manner. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

in these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a disintegrating head mechanism of a continuous miner incorporating an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the head mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, with parts omitted.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line -i4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the drum structure.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the mounting means for one of the disintegrating elements associated with the rotary drum.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the planes of the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a developed view of one of the sleeve parts of the rotary drum and showing one arrangement of the slots or recesses therein for receiving the blocks which carry the disintegrating teeth.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view ilatent ZJSLZW ice 2 lustrating the arrangement of the disintegrating teeth on one of the side chains and the disintegrating tooth at the adjacent end of the drum.

The improved disintegrating head mechanism is gen erally designated 1 and is mounted on a supporting means generally designated 2, the latter being desirably in the form of a frame mounted on a mobile base in a manner similar to that disclosed in the copending Russell and Sibley applications, Serial Numbers 102,995 and 102,996, both filed on July 5, 1949, and owned by the assignee of the present invention. Evidently, the improved head mechanism may be mounted in various other manners.

The improved head mechanism comprises a frame or bar structure 3 pivotally mounted at 4 on the supporting means 2 to swing in vertical planes, and the bar structure comprises parallel vertical side bar portions 5 rigidly connected in parallel spaced relation by transverse frame portions 6 in turn rigidly secured, as by welding, to the inner sides of the vertical side bar portions. The side bar portions have rear bearing engaging portions 7 (Fig. 2) which are pivotally supported by lateral bearing members or hollow trunnions ll provided by the supporting means 2, and a rotatable cross shaft 9, coaxial with the head frame pivot, is journaled in bearin s 16 supported within the bearing members 8, as shown in Fig. 2. The cross shaft may be driven in a manner similar to that fully disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications above referred to. The parallel side bar portions 5 have suitable guideways 11 extending about their margins and guided for orbital circulation in these guideways are endless disintegrating chains 12 comprising chain blocks 13 and strap links M. The blocks have sockets for receiving the shanks of detachable disintegrating elements or bitlike teeth 15 which are held in the sockets as by conventional set screws 16. As shown in Fig. 9 the disintegrating elements or teeth 15 are arranged in the blocks 13 on the side chains with the tips of the bits arranged in a common plane and positioned transversely of the chain such as to form a kerf of sufficient width to receive the side bars. Keyed to the cross shaft 9 are chain sprockets 17 which engage and drive the side chains 12.

The means for swinging the head mechanism in vertical planes about its pivot may assume various conven tional forms and herein, for illustrative purposes, may be similar to that disclosed in the copending application to John D. Russell, Serial No. 215,431, filed March 14, 1951, likewise owned by the same assignee as the present invention, and comprises upright fluid cylinders 20 rigidly secured to the outer sides of the side bars 5 of the head frame and containing pistons (not shown) connected by downwardly extending piston rods or connecting links 21 at 22, to lever arms 23, the latter in turn being pivotally connected at their forward ends at 24 to the sides of the head frame. The lever arms are also connected at their rear ends at 25 to flexible chain sections 26 which lie about curved surfaces 27 on the supporting means 2, these chain sections being suitably fastened at 28 to the upper portion of the supporting means. When liquid under pressure is supplied to the upper ends of the cylinders 20, the latter move upwardly relative to the piston, causing swinging of the lever arms, and resulting in upward swing of the disintegrating head mechanism. When liquid is trapped in the cylinders, the head mechanism may be rigidly held in adjusted position, and when liquid is vented from the cylinders the head mechanism may swing downwardly about its pivot. Since this swing mechanism is fully disclosed in the Russell application last referred to and does not per se enter into the present invention, further detail description thereof is herein unnecessary.

An endless flight conveyor, generally designated 40, is guided for orbital circulation along suitable guideways provided by the head frame and is arranged longitudinally intermediate the parallel side bar portions and this conveyor comprises parallel endless side chains 41 which pass around and are driven by chain sprockets 42 secured to the cross shaft 9. Cross flights 43 are connected between the side chains and are adapted to move the disintegrated material along a bottom plate 44 extending between and secured to the vertical side bars. The bottom runs of the conveyor side chains extend forwardly from the drive sprockets and pass around an adjustable guide roll 45 mounted on a slide 46 so that the side chains may be suitably tensioned. The conveyor side chains also pass around spaced guide rolls 47 and 48 journaled on depending brackets 49. A rotary toothed drum of an improved construction, generally designated 50, is arranged transversely of the outer end portion of the head frame as will now he described.

Now referring to the specific structure of the rotary drum 50, it will be noted that projecting inwardly toward one another at the inner sides of the vertical side portions of the adjustable head frame portion are bearing supports 55 which support suitable bearings 56 in which a front cross shaft 57 is journaled. This cross shaft is arranged in parallelism with the rear cross shaft 9 and chain sprockets 58 housed within the side portions of the head frame are keyed to the ends of the shaft 57 and are engaged and driven by the side chains 12. The rotary drum has a cylindrical body 59 mounted on and surrounding the cross shaft 57 between the vertical side bar portions of the head frame. The ends of the drum body are suitably recessed to receive the bearing supports 55. The drum body 59 is desirably split longitudinally and its coacting semi-circular parts 59*- abut along a diametric plane at 60 and are rigidly bolted together and held in assembled relation on the shaft 57 by screws 61 engaging the drum parts. The parts 59 are connected to the shaft 57 by keys 62. A sleeve member or cylindrical shell 63 surrounds the drum body and is also desirably split longitudinally and its coacting semi-circular parts 63 abut along a diametric plane at 64 spaced circumferentially of the drum from the plane of abutment of the drum body parts and are rigidly secured at their joining edges (Fig. 2) to the drum body as by screws 65. The parts 63 are further secured to the drum body as by keys 66. The sleeve parts 63 are slotted or recessed at 67 at various locations circumferentially and along their lengths and these slots receive the bases of mountings or blocks 68 for supporting disintegrating teeth or bits 69. The outermost ones of the bit blocks or lugs herein designated 68 at the ends of the shell or sleeve are angled outwardly toward the side chains as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. The slots 67 which receive the bases of the blocks 63*- are made a little wider than the slots 67 so that the blocks 68 can be angled relative to the sides of the slots and so held in the desired position as by welding. It will be observed from Fig. 8 that the slots 67 are shown as being formed in a certain pattern in the sleeve parts 63 but it will be obvious that they may be formed in other appropriate patterns. The arrangements of the bits are such as to locate them in staggered relation on the drum and also are staggered with respect to the disintegrating bits of the side chains so that a multiplicity of bits will not concurrently engage the mineral to be dislodged but rather move successively into dislodging contact with the mineral. The sleeve parts 63* are each preformed as by casting as separate semi-circular pieces and with their inner curved surfaces closely conforming to the peripheral surface of the drum body 59. The slots 67 in the parts 63 are desirably formed during the casting process of the sleeve parts.

Each of the bit mountings or blocks 68 have curved inner surfaces which conform to the curved outer drum body periphery and the inner curved surface of the sleeve parts 63 and the'blocks are inserted in the slots 67 to a.

position whereby the curved inner surfaces of the blocks are desirably flush with the inner curved surfaces of the sleeve parts 63 and are then secured in place as by welding to the sleeve parts. The blocks have sockets '70 for receiving the disintegrating teeth or bits 69 and stop members 7i suitably welded to the blocks are located near the bottoms of the bit sockets for engagement by the bits. Asuitable cross bolt or screw 72 in each of the blocks cooperates with a semi-circular groove or slot 73 on each of the bits for preventing the bits from being displaced from the sockets in the blocks. The bits desirably may have forward tips 74 of hard wear-resisting material at their outer extremities to prolong the life of the tips of the bits. The bits 69 also may desirably be slightly loosely received in the sockets 70 so that a certain degree of weaving or deflection of the bits relative to the rigidly mounted blocks is possible as the bits are forced through the solid vein of mineral thereby to facilitate the dislodging of the mineral.

Extending transversely between the vertical side bar portions of the adjustable head frame portions and rigidly secured, as by welding, thereto is a deflector 76 which is arranged near the bottom of the forward portion of the head frame just rearwardly of the lower rearward portion of the rotary drum 50 and this deflector has a transverse deflecting edge 77. This deflecting edge 77 lies close to the bits of the rotary drum and serves to deflect the larger pieces of disintegrated mineral from the drum and to direct the same toward the conveyor. The deflector also has a rearwardly facing curved surface 78 which lies close to the forward portion of the conveyor as the latter passes around the guide roll 48, in the manner'shown.

The disintegrating head mechanism of the present invention may be sumped into the mineral of the solid mine vein at the floor level and upon completion of the surnping operation may be swung upwardly in vertical planes until its outer end reaches the roof level and finally the head mechanism is retracted from the working face to complete the cut, all in the manner fully disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications, Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996 referred to above. Since the present invention resides in the particular drum structure of the head mechanism further description of the mode of operation of the machine with which the head mechanism is associated is herein deemed unnecessary, other than to state that the disintegrating bits of the side chains and the rotary drum tear out for the full width of the head mechanism the mineral from the solid mine vein and move the disintegrated mineral onto the conveyor of the head mechanism which in turn moves the disintegrated mineral rearwardly of the head mechanism to a convenient point rearwardly of the head pivot.

As a result of this invention an improved disintegrating head mechanism for a continuous miner is provided whereby the mineral of a solid mine vein may be dislodged rapidly and efficiently while at the same time the lump size of the mineral is substantially increased. By the provision of the outer sleeve parts on the drum body the replacement of worn or broken blocks is greatly facilitated as it is necessary only to remove that one of the sleeve parts which has a broken or worn block in it. By mounting the bit blocks on the detachable sleeve parts instead of directly on the drum body, the drum can be more readily and in a less costly manner changed to provide the drum with various bit patterns. The rotary drum structure due to its simplified construction, may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and may be quickly assembled and disassembled. These and other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms with- I amigo";

r out departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a drum type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a drum having a rotary cylindrical body, a cylindrical sleeve fitted over and coextensive with the exterior periphery of said body, said sleeve detachably secured to said body and having slots spaced apart circumferentially and along the length of the drum, said slots disposed in staggered relation, and tooth supports disposed with their base portions received in said slots respectively and secured to said sleeve.

2. A disintegrating head as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body is split longitudinally into two component parts and said sleeve is rigidly secured to said parts of said cylindrical body.

3. A disintegrating head as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body is split longitudinally into two component parts which are secured together, and said sleeve is split longitudinally into two component parts and securing elements are provided for detachably securing said sleeve parts to said body parts.

4. A disintegrating head as set forth in claim 3 wherein the joining edges of said sleeve parts are spaced circumferentially of the drum from the joining edges of said body parts.

5. In a drum type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a drum having a rotary cylindrical body, a cylindrical sleeve fitted over and coextensive with said body, said sleeve detachably secured to said body and having recesses spaced apart circumferentially and along the length of said body, and tooth supports secured to said sleeve with their base portions received in said recesses and rigidly secured to said sleeve.

6. A disintegrating head as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sleeve is made up of two semi-circular parts and securing elements are provided at the joining edges of said parts for detachably securing said sleeve parts to said body.

7. A disintegrating head as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tooth supports have sockets and disintegrating teeth are loosely secured in said sockets whereby said teeth may vibrate within their sockets during drum rotation.

8. A disintegrating head as set forth in claim I wherein said tooth supports which are secured in said sleeve slots rest at their inner surfaces against the outer peripheral surface of said body.

9. In a disintegrating head mechanism, a rotary toothed mineral disintegrating drum, a drive shaft extending axially through said drum and on which said drum is mounted, said drum comprising two inner mating component parts secured together and to said shaft and two outer mating sleeve parts surrounding and secured to said inner mating parts, said outer sleeve parts having slots spaced apart along their lengths for the reception of bit carrying elements, said slots having curved bottom surfaces against which the bottoms of said bit carrying elements rest.

10. In a drum type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a rotary cylindrical drum-member having recesses spaced apart circumferentially about its exterior periphery, said recesses having rear endwalls and sidewall portions and disposed in spaced apart relation along said drum-member, and supports for disintegrating teeth disposed with their base portions seated in said recesses and engaging said rear endwalls, said side portions of the recess-sidewalls cooperating with the exterior side surfaces of the base portions to provide lateral supporting surfaces for said tooth supports firmly to position the latter with respect to said drum-member.

11. In a drum type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a rotary cylindrical drum-member having recesses spaced apart circumferentially about its exterior periphery,'said recesses disposed in spaced apart relation along said drum-member and having sidewalls and rear endwalls, and supports for disintegrating teeth disposed with their base portions seated in said recesses and engaging said rear endwalls, the recess-sidewalls cooperating with the exterior side surfaces of the base portions firmly to position said supports with respect to said drum-member, said recesses being elongated circumferentially of said drum-member and having curved bottoms lying in the surface of a cylinder coaxial with said drummember, said tooth supports having their base portions shaped to fit said recesses and provided with curved surfaces at the bottoms of their base portions fitting and seated against said curved recess-bottoms.

12. In a drum type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a rotary cylindrical drum-member having a body, a cylindrical shell fitting over and detachably secured to the body of said cylindrical drum-member, said shell formed with recesses spaced apart circumferentially about its exterior periphery, said recesses disposed in spaced apart relation along said drum-member, and supports for disintegrating teeth disposed with their base portions seated in said recesses with the recess-walls cooperating with the exterior side surfaces of the base portions firmly to position said supports with respect to said drum-member.

13. In a drum-type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a rotary cylindrical drum-member having a cylindrical body, a cylindrical shell fitting over and detachably secured to the cylindrical body of said drummember, said shell formed with recesses spaced apart circumferentially about its exterior periphery, said recesses disposed in spaced apart relation along said drummember, and supports for disintegrating teeth disposed with their base portions seated in said recesses with the recess-walls cooperating with the exterior side surfaces of the base portions firmly to position said supports with respect to said drum-member, said recesses being elongated circumferentially of said drum-member and having curved bottoms lying in the surface of a cylinder coaxial with said drum-member, said tooth supports having their base portions shaped to fit said recesses and provided with curved surfaces at the bottoms of their base portions fitting and seated against said curved recess-bottoms, said recesses extending completely through the cylindrical shell and the exterior surface of said drum-body providing said curved bottoms of said recesses.

14. In a drum type disintegrating head, the combination comprising a drum having a rotary cylindrical body, a cylindrical sleeve fitted over and coextensive with the exterior periphery of said body, said sleeve detachably secured to said body and having slots spaced apart circumferentially and along the length of the drum, said slots disposed in spaced apart relation along said drum, and tooth supports disposed with their base portions received in said slots respectively and secured to said sleeve.

15. In a drum type disintegrating head, a combination comprising a rotary cylindrical drum-member having recesses spaced apart circumferentially about its exterior periphery, said recesses disposed in spaced apart relation along said drum-member and each having parallel sidewalls and spaced endwalls, and supports for disintegrating teeth disposed with their base portions seated in said recesses and engaging the endwalls of said recesses, said supports having parallel sides engaging said recess sidewalls and said recess sidewalls cooperating with said side surfaces of said base portions to provide firm lateral support for said tooth supports with respect to said drummember.

(References on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Elwell Mar. 13, 1888 Trout May '7, 1889 5 McNeil Aug. 18, 1925 Hess May 25, 1926 Hughes June 3, 1930 A 8 Hallcck June 30, 1931 Howell Dec. 18, 1934 Stromer Aug. 25, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 18, 1922 Great Britain Feb. 18, 1924 

